Riding in the rain

Watch out for the white/yellow painted lines as they can become slippery for the rubber or your foot when stopped.
Be careful of oil spills if it's just started to rain as that's when it is the worst.
Ensure your gloves have a rubber wiper thingy that you can use to wipe your visor.
Be careful of standing water as you don't know how deep the hole is, if there is one.
If riding on the highway, be aware of the splash coming off heavier vehicles.
Increase your following distance.
Slow down.
 
Pretty much the usual, but exaggerated - be smooth, leave space, etc. Take corners slower, don't ride near the curb where the most water builds up, wear hi-vis or reflective stuff.

the little rubber thingy never works for me. Rain is also a good time to have your GoPro on.
 
freddievercetti said:
What are some things to be aware of riding in the rain?

I'm afraid the 07 CBR125 will low-side the moment I push steer or have to do right or left turns with the thin tires lol.
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I've been rain riding, even ramping, for 3 seasons now. This stuff is almost common sense:

Do not push too hard during the rain for turns. By hard, I mean 80km/h-100km/h on a 30km/h highway ramp.
Avoid the painted lines on ramps, they get slippery.
Stay far back from trucks because sometimes they spew mud out of their tires at your newly washed bike!
Tilt your head to the sides (left and right) to force the wind to blow off rain drops.

....Get some waterproof gear lol
 
I've ridden in all the worst weather: Rain, wind, snow, ice.. It's not fun but it definitely makes summer easy! lol If you plan on riding in the rain often, look into getting a good rain suit. The boot covers also help when you get caught in torrential downpours for 4 hours.... :) Be extra careful as cagers are even less aware (if that's possible) of bikes being on the roads in rain or other non-summer type days. Once it's been raining for a while, I would ride slightly out of the tire tracks as by that time, the oil slicks aren't as much of a problem and it keeps you from riding in the rivers that accumulate in tire tracks. I don't think there's anything else I can add that others haven't.

Be safe!
 
I rode today,it wasnt raining at 5:30 this morning lol,I found the rain no problem it was the trucks throwing massive amounts of water off the wheels,just kept cool and passed with no problem,wasnt fun but great practice for when you get caught in foul weather.
 
Jayv said:
Go ride over some wet street tracks on a 250, really sketchy.
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Yea, I know what you mean but street tracks are different. What I meant is, that its harder to hydroplane smaller tires because of the reduced surface area.
 
LoneRonin said:
Yea, I know what you mean but street tracks are different. What I meant is, that its harder to hydroplane smaller tires because of the reduced surface area.
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When I had my M1, I was coming back from Cambridge on the side roads and got caught in a downpour on my 250. My god, I was hydroplaning everywhere, doing 50 in an 80 because visibility was next to nil. If that wasn't bad enough, I didn't have rain gear and it was getting dark. lol It took me 4 hours and 15 mins to get home that day in constant rain. Left at 4pm, got home just after 8pm. I contemplated a few times just getting a hotel for the night since I was soaked/freezing but I stuck it out because I had to work the next day and wouldn't have had time to zip home for dry clothes. What a crazy experience. Makes riding in the summer so simple. lol
 
Be very careful going over anything steel that is wet (street car tracks, man holes, expansion join in bridges, etc). They will be extremely slippery. Other then that be smooth with gas, brakes and steering. You get wet bit its not a big deal. Gear and clothing dry out. Bikes run fine in the rain. Lube your chain after the bike drys out some. If you have black leather gloves/boots/jacket that has never gotten wet before you might get some staining from the dye.
 
I bought a pair of those yellow pants they have in Canadian Tire for rain gear. Do I need the jacket part? How will it affect riding?
 
freddievercetti said:
I bought a pair of those yellow pants they have in Canadian Tire for rain gear. Do I need the jacket part? How will it affect riding?
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If your jacket isn't water proof or resistant, it would be a good idea. There's nothing more uncomfortable than riding while soaking wet. Be sure to get one that fits over your jacket well and it shouldn't affect your riding.
 
When I'm riding while it's raining, I'm always aware of the fact that my bike is getting a wash it would otherwise never get.

Seriously though, don't stress it - that's the main thing. When you stress, you tense and when you're tense you shouldn't be riding.
Visibility is important too. If you feel you can't see well enough to be safe, pull over and take a break.
 
DemonPig said:
When I'm riding while it's raining, I'm always aware of the fact that my bike is getting a wash it would otherwise never get.
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Gets the bug off.

... Otherwise: just mellow out. With a decent set of tires: you just need to be smooth and watch the paint lines.
 
Not just painted lines, but anything metal, like ttc rail tracks.
Accelerate and brake only on the straights, have a good "out-in-out" line when cornering.
Be gentle and smooth in everything (braking, accelerating, turning and gear shifting) Keep in mind the traction circle.
Keep alert of your surroundings.

Always ride the grippiest parts of the roads, even if it means you have to sacrifice line.

Experiment, lock up, skid, spin tires, track in the rain and drop a few times on safe roads/empty parking lots if you actually want to master rain riding.
 
Well I just came back drenched in rain, and it stops raining after I park it >: (

Thanks for all the advice. I actually went to Lakeshore and rode east and met my first pair of street tracks and also the rain torrent. The moment I noticed them I remembered yall advice. But damn do those tires feel like they want to stick to the tracks lol. Went back west asap to escape the rain :P.

I still haven't slided/locked up my brakes/low or high sided yet, even in the rain. How do you guys know the limits of your bike like lean angle from push steering, and the speed going into corners, without say the bad things happening?
 
freddievercetti said:
I still haven't slided/locked up my brakes/low or high sided yet, even in the rain. How do you guys know the limits of your bike like lean angle from push steering, and the speed going into corners, without say the bad things happening?
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It just takes practice. You will get to know the limits of your bike hopefully without experiencing the actual limits in a bad sense. If you wanna go for a ride sometime, let me know. I'm pretty free most of the time.
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